Potty time

I was just upstairs in my bedroom and I heard a water sound coming from the hall bathroom that Katie gets her baths in. My first reaction was that Katie was making a mess with the sink or the toilet water.

As I rushed in to see what she was doing, thinking the worst, she had pulled off her sleeper pajamas and her diaper and was going pee pee on the potty. Woo Hoo! It was even enough liquid that I had thought she was doing something bad.

I am so proud of her, though I wish she wouldn't be so sneaky about it. She only tells me she has to go once in awhile but she usually just decides to go and do it on her own.

Oh the joys of having a two-year-old around! Who knew a simple body function could be the joy of my evening. :)

I am so looking forward to underwear and no more stinky diaper pails.

Do I protest to much?

Oh the Bronco...how I love and despise it at the same time.

I grew up going camping and off-roading with my parents and the Bronco infatuation began with my father when I was about 10 years old. There has been a Bronco in the family ever since, so I should not have been surprised when my off-roading husband, into dune buggys when I met him, was convinced (by my father) to get one three years ago.

I now have nearly as many pictures of the transformation the Bronco has undergone since we aquired it as I do of Katie, who was born around the same time as we got the Bronco.

So here is how my Saturday went, much to my irritation...

John and I were supposed to work on getting all our "projects" done and we had a list of things to do.

First we decided to tackle the front garden area by our mailbox. John got a majority of the area cleaned out, tilled the soil (always fun), and we had gone to Home Depot to buy the shrubs that would fill in the area.

We had returned from Home Depot for no longer than 5 minutes, enough time to unload the plants and set them in the dirt where I wanted them planted (by John).

At this moment my mom and dad show up and my father begins to unload variuos tools and a welder from his truck into our garage and then begins to re-direct my husbands attention away from our previous plans...the yard...

For the next six hours, yes...six.hours! My husband and my dad were occupied by the somehow more important task of changing the exhuast system underneath the Bronco...

I was so irritated that the projects we had originally planned to complete were not going to get done that I wasn't about to let the yard continue to look bad. So I went outside, got the shovel and dug all the holes and planted all 7 shrubs myself while my husband and dad ignored me from a few feet away...Oh wait, they did say the occaisional "You're doing a great job Sandy!"...I don't know if they meant it, but I was so annoyed that it sounded like sarcasm.

Not to mention the picture John took of me finishing the mulch around the plants was HORRIBLE!

The garden still needs a paver boarder around the grass and the hedge needs to be continued up the grass all the way...who knows how long it will take for that to happen!?

I am sure another Bronco project will be coming up soon...more to come on the obsession.

Resignation completion

I finally did it...I turned in my resignation to my boss this week and gave her 30 days.

Let me explain the significance of this post because it deserves the history lesson.

I have been working at this job for nearly eight years! It was my first office job, Eric was 12 weeks old and I was barely 22 years old. I was recovering mentally from my failed relationship with Eric's father and a substance addiction that had lasted five years prior to having Eric in my belly. I had no self-esteem left and I was alone (all my "friends" abandoned me during my pregnancy) to support myself and my beautiful baby boy.

I have met so many great people during the years. The most significant, of course, was John (my now husband). A year after working in the same office we went on our first date. We were married a year and a half later...now, seven years after our first date we have Katie and Eric has been officially adopted by John and we are taking the steps needed to get sealed in the temple next month.

Side note...I also met the family that inspired me to join the church at this job, the Wiltbanks.

During our growth in the church this year we decided that I needed to be spending more time being a mom to these great children of mine, so I am quiting the job that has allowed me to grow into the responsible family oriented person I am today.

When I look back at the way things have found a way to work out I just have to believe that it was meant to be. Life is amazing.

I really am looking forward to the next chapter of my life, but SKS will never be far from my mind and the memories that have shaped my family's life together.

Happy Halloween!

It was a great night in San Diego for trick-or-treating. I think the temperature was about 72 degrees and clear skies. Oh, how I love living here!

Here I am with my 4 mo. old niece Briana.

(She is the chubbiest baby I've ever known) :)

We met my sister Mindy and her husband Darin to take all the cousins out together.

Conor wasn't really in the mood for dressing up in a costume so he wore a prirate shirt.
Eric had an army man and had a hat that went with this outfit. He looked awesome and got a lot of great comments about his make-up. Grandma and Grandpa Woods watched the door for us while we went and collected candy with the kids.

Eric and Katie posing on the stairs.

Katie was a beautiful plum fairy, I had already mended the sleeve with a needle and thread because Katie tore it the day we got it home. She loved her wings and flower crown. I put glitter make-up on her face and she was adoreable.

Eric's adoption

How cute does Eric look, he was so happy!

We finally got to go to the courthouse and finalize Eric's adoption with John. We have had the release from his biological father since April but it took 6 months for the FBI to run background checks on John and clear him to be a father.

I think it's hilarious that they do that even thoigh John has been the only father Eric has ever known since he was 14 months old.

Anyway, we are finally a legal family of four in the eyes of the State of California and John can fill out forms without having to write "step" father anymore.

Above are the pictures we took in the judges chambers as we signed the final documents.

Election is over!

I have been dreading this election for months now and I am so relieved that it is over and Prop 8 passed. I really thought we were going to lose and it was making me sick with worry.

I am a little sad about some of the other props and other election results but as long as the one I really wanted passed I think I can live with the world.

I have really been slacking with these posts. Maybe I'll get into the grove one of these days. It is still a little weird to post on a blog. It feels like writing an email to yourself. :)